The Himalayan Boy and the TV Set

This film has been highly recommended

BBC iPlayer

"Documentary which provides a vivid glimpse into a vanishing way of life in the Himalayas, as new technology extends its tentacles even into these remote regions.

In 1999, the King of Bhutan made a landmark proclamation approving the use of television and the internet. The film begins at the end of this process as Laya, the last remaining village tucked away within the Himalayan kingdom, becomes enmeshed in roads, electricity and cable television. Through the eyes of Peyangki, an eight-year-old monk impatient with prayer and eager to acquire a TV set, the film documents the seeds of this seismic shift sprouting.

During a three-day journey to the thriving capital of Thimphu, the young boy discovers cars and toilets in the search for the perfect television to bring back to the village. The trip enforces the sense that their tranquil village life is about to become extinct".

Dorset From Above

Bridport from Above

Dorchester from Above

Weymouth from Above

UK: REGGAE IN DORCHESTER, DORSET, October 11, 2014

Dorset Echo article

"REGGAE music and Caribbean food will be on offer at a free event in Dorchester to celebrate Black History Month. The Corn Exchange is hosting the event on Saturday, October 11, which will include a screening of the classic film Cool Runnings from 3pm followed by music, poetry, food and other entertainment from 6pm. Headlining the music will be Afro Tallawah, pictured right, with their own special fusion of afro-Latin-reggae music".

UK: Conference Speeches

Whichever way you vote, it's worth studying the semiotics, presentation styles and body language of both major party leaders:

David Cameron's Conservative Party Conference speech

Ed Miliband's Labour Party Conference speech,.

Greece: Flexible Rules and Law Enforcement?

First, an item from Kathimerini

Second, an item from Aljazeera America

Highly controversial issues.

Both articles seem provocative, and over the top.


EU Migration Priorities

Ebola: Greece, Safety Precautions (EnetEnglish)

Ebola and Illicit Immigrants (EnetEnglish)

Captain James Cook: A Film and a Poem

BBC 4 iPlayer: Captain Cook: The Man Behind The Legend


The Dream Came True- 
Captain Cook at Kealakekua Bay

Deified on first arrival,
Honoured with the sacred cape,
Hail Great Lono, the god returned!
-The God of Song and Agriculture,
Protector of the Sweet Potato,
The Season of Abundance.
Hawaiians bowed in exaltation,
Fell down flat upon their faces,
They worshipped him, Orono, Lono,
But not for long. It all went wrong.

He returned again, no more divine.
He overstayed his welcome.
Cook was tired; he lost his temper.
The violent time; no time for song.
Lumps of lava, rocks were thrown.
A chief was killed. It all went wrong.
Cook was clubbed
And spiked and stabbed.
They took his body,
They wore his clothes;
Torn to pieces;
They passed round the bones.
They mocked the British;
One wore Cook's hat,
Doffed and tossed it in the air.
Reprisal time.
Brits went ashore to shoot Hawaiians,
They had their day and burnt the houses.
What remained of Captain Cook?
Bits of head, hands, feet they'd buried:
Gnawed bones returned by chastened natives-
Sown in a sack, consigned to the sea.
The Sandwich Islands.
St. Valentine's Day.


Copyright Jim Potts

From Five Poems

 (Jim Potts)